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Puppy Resources

I have created this page as a resource for all new puppy owners.  It has information on feeding, sleeping, training, house training and more.  This page will be updated over the next few months, so be sure and check back.  Also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos and resources.  

Puppy training: 

Recall/Teaching your puppy to come when called:

  1. When calling your puppy, say, “Puppy and their name” so they can learn their name.  
  2. Always have a treat in your hand when you call “puppy (and name)”, when they come to you give them a treat and offer affection.  

Keys to your dog understanding you:

  • You have to go to the level of the puppy/dogs. Do not expect the puppy/dogs to come to your human level.  If you don’t speak their language they will have a hard time understanding what you are wanting them to do.  You have to go to the level of the dog’s mind and natural instinct and behavior.  Then you correct them.   
  • Do not create long sentences when you want your puppy or dog to do something.  It will only confuse them.  
  • Everything has to be addressed within a few seconds with very few words.  If you miss the time frame after the behavior, just skip the reward or correction.  Do it over again and then reward immediately so they can associate the reward with their behavior.  

Safety

  • If you cannot supervise your puppy, put them in their crate or in a playpen.  Puppies should be in the crate all times if you can not supervise, even if you are home because puppies are learning things and need to be corrected what is ok and what is not ok.  A puppy is like a toddler, you teach them what is safe and not safe, correct and not correct, what can be chewed and not chewed.  This is safe for your puppy and safe for your wallet.  
  • When  you leave your house, your puppy should always be crated until they are 12 months old.  

Don’ts 

  • No punishment for bathroom accidents, completely ignore them and calmly wipe it up.  Don’t draw attention to it.  If you yell, put their nose in the pee, you only build distrust and they don’t understand and will become afraid of you.  They will become afraid when they see you.  
  • No overwhelming introductions (one new thing at a time)

7-8 week old puppy training & care videos

Caring for your Puppy

Schedule

  • Keeping puppies on their schedule will ensure a smooth transition to your home.  
  • The puppy’s cycle is to sleep, wake up, go to the bathroom – pee and poop, then eat, then play, then pee again, then look for a place to lay down and go back to sleep.  If you put your puppy into the crate to go to sleep, but they continue to make noise or are restless, they may need to go to the bathroom again.  
  • The last feeding is around 10-11pm, take them outside again for the bathroom then take them back inside then put them in the crate.  They will sleep for 6+ hours.  

Crate:

  • Put a crate in the bedroom so they can see you when you go to sleep so they will learn to sleep when you sleep.
  • Keep the crate door open when the puppy is running around. 
  • Throw treats inside the crate along with toys so they associate the crate with positivity.  
  • Feed them in their crate, you can close the door when the puppy is eating for less distraction, once he’s finished, open the door.  You don’t want to teach the puppy to eat a little, go play, then eat.  Teach them when it’s time to eat, they eat.  Keep to the schedule.  If they are not interested, give them five minutes and if they don’t eat, pick up the food, put it in the refrigerator for the next scheduled feeding.   
  • After the puppy eats, plays and goes to the bathroom, have them lay down to sleep in their crate.  
  • If your puppy falls asleep on the floor, gently pick up and place it in the crate.  Close the crate and then listen for them to wake up so you can take them outside when they wake up.  This will teach you how to read when the puppy needs to go to the bathroom.   
  • If you put your puppy into the crate to go to sleep, but they continue to make noise or are restless, they may need to go to the bathroom again.  

Sleeping:

  • Have a safe designated place for puppies to sleep. Do not isolate your puppy from you. No closed door like a laundry room, bathroom or closet, but put in a place where you are.  Living room is a great area.  They will grow accustomed to the noises and people coming and going.  Do not put the crate in front of the window if your window looks into the street where people and dogs or cars go.  This way they will not learn the behaviour of barking about things they see at the window.  Your puppy needs to learn to alert you when someone comes to your door or is on your property, not in the street.  
  • You will notice your puppy looking for a place to lay down, this can look similar to when they are looking for a place to go to the bathroom, but this time they are looking for a place to lay down.  It helps them learn it is time to sleep by keeping the place you have them lay down consistent.  
  • They will wake up during the night for one these reasons: 
    • They have to go to the bathroom (usually this is what they need)
    • They are too hot or too cold.  If the puppy is curled into a ball they are too cold.  If they are panting while sleeping it means it’s too hot.  
    • They are hungry, their last meal should always be raw meat, they will sleep longer because it is easy to digest and full of nutrients that keep them full all night. 
  • When you bring them back inside during the night, you can give them a snack of raw goat’s milk and some freeze dried beef lung or even some canned food.   

House Training

  • In the morning or during the night when they peep or make noise, take outside immediately to go to the bathroom.  You can allow them a few minutes outside to play.  
  • For the first 4-5 days, pick up your puppy from their crate when taking them outside, do this until they learn your environment.  You will know they have learned your environment and where the door is located when they begin to go to the door when they have to go to the bathroom.  They will learn this faster if every time they are close to the door, you open it so they learn that is the way outside. 

Feeding your Puppy

Do not restrict the portion sizes, allow them to eat until they stop on their own.  They need food to grow.  Do this until they reach 12 months old.  

DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY KIBBLES.  NO PUPPY KIBBLE, NO KIBBLE OF ANY TYPE.  

Do not restrict water.  Water and good quality food is what they need to be healthy and strong.

If you say you cannot afford to feed your dog a healthy diet, then you should not have a dog because they can not speak, their digest system is different from a human.  

Most bloating happens because of their kibble diet.  Kibble is very hard for dogs to digest.  It takes dog’s up to 8-10 hours to digest these kibbles.  Because they are hard to digest, it rests in their stomach.  They also do not get enough nutrients, they will shed more, diarrhea, allergies, ear infections, kidney and liver disease, these come from poor diet of kibble.  Unhealthy diet impacts their mental state and their behavior just like humans.   If you provide a good nutritious diet, you will have a happy and healthy dog for many years.  

Diet should be 80% protein and 20% carbs.  And if you do this your puppy will grow strong and healthy and not require extra vet visits outside of their regular check ups.  And they will live longer and healthier lives.  And will age normally not by sickness. 

Canned Food for Puppies: 

  • Purina’s Beyond Organic
  • Open Farm Grain & Legume Free Puppy 
  • Royal Canin Puppy
  • Wellness Complete Health Puppy Recipe

Raw Meat

Other Food

  • High fat cottage cheese
  • Plain whole milk yogurt
  • Raw eggs

Mix into their wet food:  

Supplements to mix into raw meat or wet food:

Treats 

Diarrhea

If your puppy develops diarrhea, give them slippery elm (Amazon link here).  Also, mix a few tablespoons of pumpkin in with their raw meat.  

If it persists, call me.  

 

FAQ’s

What if your puppy won’t settle down at bedtime?  

If you have already taken them out for the bathroom offer them some water.  They may be thirsty!  

What if your puppy won’t eat the raw meat?  

You can cook the meat with a little bit of water on the stove and many puppies like this.  But don’t overcook the meat, it will get too hard.

Should I clean their ears?  

Yes these puppies need their ears cleaned frequently.  Especially if they get wet or are playing outside in the dirt.  Grab these off Amazon that wipe those ears.  

Here’s a video I made to show you how to clean their ears.  

Bringing Your Puppy Home Checklist 

Items you need:

  • Crate
  • Puppy toys 
  • Treats (freeze dried beef  lung or cod skins, SEE LINKS IN FEEDING PAGE) 
  • PetMD Ear Wipes
  • Raw Goats Milk 
  • Albrights puppy food (I will give you a tube to get started – LINK IN FEEDING)
  • Water dish & food dish
  • Canned food (one of these high quality):
    • Purina’s Beyond Organic
    • Open Farm Grain & Legume Free Puppy 
    • Royal Canin Puppy
    • Wellness Complete Health Puppy Recipe
    • Pure Being Canned Food, beef or turkey (from Aldi)

Items you may want: 

  • Playpen
  • Baby gate